Discover how agencies, firms, and service companies can manage client emails with ease using Missive. This guide offers practical tips to streamline communication, organize shared inboxes, and improve collaboration. Perfect for teams looking to eliminate email chaos and deliver exceptional client service.

It's the start of another week, and your email inbox looks like it exploded overnight. Messages from clients are piling up – a mix of red-flag emergencies, projects stuck in limbo waiting for your team to weigh in, and threads that are probably scattered across your coworkers' accounts too. Does this hit close to home? Most professionals know exactly what this email overwhelm feels like.

The Challenge Every Client-Centric Business Faces

Traditional email wasn't built for modern client service. Whether you're a law firm juggling complex cases, a marketing agency coordinating campaign approvals, or a bookkeeping firm handling time-sensitive financial documents, you know the struggle. Your team is brilliant at what they do, but email chaos can make even the most organized professional feel overwhelmed.

That's where Missive comes in – not just as another email tool, but as your team's command center for client communication.

What Makes Missive Different? (Hint: It's Built for Teams Like Yours)

Think of Missive as your email client on steroids. But instead of just making email faster, it makes it smarter. Here's what I mean:

• Ever wished you could see what your colleague already told the client? With shared inboxes, you can.
• Frustrated by clients CCing half your team hoping to find the right person? In Missive, everyone sees and can chat inside the same thread.
• Tired of having multiple threads about the same service or case? Our merge conversations feature has got your back.
• Need to draft an email live with a colleague like in a Google doc? With collaborative drafting you can.
• Need to loop in your designer on a client conversation? One-click assignments make it seamless.

Best Practices for Configuring Missive for Client-Centric Communication

1. Set Up Shared Inboxes

The first step in managing client cases is to consolidate relevant communication into shared inboxes. This ensures your team has access to the conversations they need to collaborate effectively.

• Set up team-specific inboxes (e.g., marketing@yourcompany.com) to direct emails to the appropriate departments.
• Drag-and-drop emails received in personal accounts to appropriate Team Inboxes. Or create rules to automate this process.

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Pro tip Easily stay on top of every message by accessing your team’s shared inbox and filtering by specific criteria like “Assigned to...” Whether you’re monitoring progress or ensuring nothing slips through the cracks, Missive’s filtering options make it simple to keep your communication organized and easy to find.

2. Organize Emails by Client or Project

Use Labels to categorize client communication:

• Create labels for each client or project (e.g., “Client: Johnson & Co.” or “Project: Website Redesign”).
• Add labels to differentiate tasks or stages (e.g., “Proposal Sent,” “Awaiting Feedback”).

Missive’s Rules can automate this organization by applying labels or tags based on email content or sender.

3. Assign Conversations to Team Members: Flexibility for Complex Mandates

Client work often revolves around mandates or projects requiring input from multiple experts or teams. Missive’s assignments feature helps you manage this complexity with ease.

Assign Conversations to Individuals or Teams: Direct emails to the appropriate team member or Team Inbox. For example:

• A law firm might assign a contract review email to a paralegal before it goes to an attorney.
• A marketing agency might assign initial project emails to an account manager before involving designers or strategists.

Reassign as Projects Evolve: Projects often require input from different specialists at various stages. Missive allows you to change the assignee as needed. For instance:

• A bookkeeping firm might transfer a case from a junior bookkeeper to a senior accountant for tax filing.

• A legal case might move from a general attorney to a compliance expert.

Use Comments for Smooth Handoffs: Add internal comments to provide context when reassigning tasks, ensuring no details are lost in transition.

This flexibility makes Missive an ideal tool for handling non-linear workflows, ensuring accountability while supporting seamless collaboration.

4. Use Canned Responses for Common Emails

Save time by creating templates for frequently sent emails, such as:

• Client onboarding emails
• Progress updates
• Invoice reminders

5. Integrate Your Favourite Tools

Missive integrates with popular CRMs, task managers, and other platforms. Alternatively, you can also create your own custom integration to let you access critical client information directly from your inbox.

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6. Track Deadlines and Tasks

Missive’s Tasks feature lets you stay on top of deadlines and deliverables:

• Convert emails into tasks to track follow-ups or required actions.
• Assign tasks to team members.

Pair this feature with Labels to track tasks by client or project.

7. Collaborate in Live Drafts

Some emails require input from multiple team members before they’re sent to clients. Use Missive’s Collaborative Writing feature to work together on sensitive or detailed communications.

• Write your email draft and tag other members of your Missive organization.
• Team members can review, edit, and comment in real-time.

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This is particularly valuable for legal teams drafting contracts or marketing agencies working on creative proposals.

8. Search for Quick Access

Missive’s search functionality allows you to quickly find emails, attachments, or notes related to a client or project. Use search operators (Outlook or Gmail) to filter searches by:

• Keywords
• Labels or tags
• Specific attachments
• Much more

Pin frequent searches to the sidebar to make your workflow even more efficient.

Ready to Transform Your Client-Centric Communication?

If you're tired of email chaos and ready for a more organized, collaborative approach to client communication, Missive might be exactly what you need. Start with these basics, then customize as you go – your future self (and your clients) will thank you.

No more lost emails, no more communication silos, just smooth, efficient client service.

The role of executive support has evolved a lot. Whether you're a Chief of Staff, Executive Assistant, or Team Lead, managing someone else's communication is no longer just about forwarding emails and sending basic responses. Today's email delegation requires strategic thinking, careful prioritization, and the right tools to make it all work seamlessly.

Modern Email Delegation

Gone are the days of sharing passwords or setting up complicated email forwarding rules. Modern email delegation is about creating efficient workflows while maintaining security and accountability. Here's what that looks like in practice:

Executive Assistants

• Managing multiple executive inboxes
• Drafting responses for review
• Triaging urgent matters
• Coordinating cross-department communication
• Maintaining relationship management through timely responses

Chiefs of Staff

• Overseeing strategic communications
• Coordinating between executive team members
• Handling sensitive information with discretion
• Aligning communication with company objectives

Team Leads

• Distributing customer inquiries
• Managing shared department inboxes
• Coordinating project communications
• Training new team members
• Maintaining communication standards

3 Missive Configurations for Email Delegation

Missive offers powerful workflows designed for modern email delegation:

Out-of-the-Box Delegation (aka @mentions)

Basic delegation requires no setup. Team members can mention @coworkers in the chat bar or use assignments to collaborate. No more forwarding endless email threads—everything stays in Missive for easy tracking and reference.

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Other settings, such as sharing aliases, can be used to allow a team member to send emails from another team member's address. With this configuration, a team member can reply on your behalf but won't have access to all incoming emails unless they're being shared.

You will always have access to all emails sent by a delegated user.

Full Delegation with Team Inboxes

For roles that need full access to another’s inbox, such as an executive assistant needing a CEO’s inbox, Missive offers a Team Inbox solution. By connecting an email account to a Team Inbox, all communications can be managed in a dedicated space, organized, and even scaled as the organization grows.

With team inboxes, there’s no need to mix shared emails with personal inboxes, and multiple team members can work together seamlessly, which is especially helpful for distributed teams.

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Assistants can be made members of the team, and owners can be observers, these don't get notified of new emails, but they can keep an eye on everything at all times.

The assistant can reply as the owner of the account (ceo@acme.com). Also, a custom signature can be created.

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Assistants can also triage emails by creating color-coded shared labels.

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Automated, Privacy-First Delegation

If an account contains private messages, Missive allows you to set up rules to filter these from the assistant’s view. For example, family, friends, or finance-related emails can be hidden, ensuring personal information stays private. This setup balances delegation with privacy, providing peace of mind while maintaining workflow efficiency.

In this case, the owner imports a private account. Here, email sharing is done automatically through rules. This configuration of delegation is essential when the content of some emails is private and can’t be seen by the assistant.

The owner (ceo@acme.com) can create rules to share only some emails with the assistant (assistant@acme.com) and keep the rest private.

In the next example, a rule is set to keep all family/friends/finance related emails from going to the assistant's inbox.

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Actions such as removing a conversation from the owner's inbox can also be achieved with rules. For instance, when the assistant labels an email as "Non-essential", the rule will close the conversation, removing it from the owner's inbox, keeping it tidy.

Creating a Delegation System That Works

The key to successful email delegation isn't just about tools – it's about creating a system that works for both the delegate and the owner. Here's how to build one:

1. Clear Access Levels

Different roles require different levels of access. Consider creating tiers:

• Full access for trusted executive assistants
• Filtered access for department managers
• Specific thread access for project coordinators

2. Communication Rules

Establish clear guidelines for:

• Which emails need executive review
• Standard response templates
• Urgency levels and response times
• Internal communication protocols
• Signature and formatting standards

3. Privacy Protocols

Set up boundaries for:

• Personal vs. professional communication
• Confidential information handling
• Internal sensitive matters
• Financial or legal correspondence

Best Practices for Modern Email Delegation

For Assistants

Mastering Triage:

• Create clear labeling systems
• Establish urgent vs. important criteria
• Document recurring patterns

Communication Management:

• Draft responses in your executive's voice
• Maintain relationship continuity
• Track important conversations
• Manage calendar integration
• Keep contextual notes

For Executives

Delegation Success:

• Provide clear preferences and guidelines
• Establish regular review times
• Give feedback on responses
• Share context for important relationships
• Trust your delegate's judgment

For Teams

Collaborative Efficiency:

• Set up shared response canned responses
• Create Team Inbox protocols
• Establish assignment rules
• Maintain consistent communication standards
• Track team performance metrics

Making It Work for You

The key to successful email delegation is finding the right balance between:

• Access and privacy
• Efficiency and accuracy
• Speed and thoughtfulness
• Automation and personal touch
• Standardization and flexibility

Remember, effective email delegation isn't just about managing messages – it's about facilitating communication that moves your organization forward.

Whether you're just starting with email delegation or looking to improve your existing system, the most important thing is creating a framework that works for your specific situation. Start with the basics, refine as you go, and always keep security and efficiency in balance.

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If you're building or scaling an accounting firm, your email system shouldn't be a bottleneck. Missive is a collaborative email platform designed for team-based work, perfect for accounting firms adopting a modern, client-centric workflow. One of the most effective structures is the POD model.

Here's how to configure Missive for firm-wide clarity, accountability, and efficiency, especially if you're running pods.

What Is a POD?

A POD is a small, cross-functional team, typically 4–6 people, designed to serve a set group of clients. Each pod includes a senior (e.g. manager or controller), one or more juniors, a coordinator/admin, and optionally an offshore or tech specialist. This structure creates:

• Clear ownership
  
• Streamlined communication
• Resilience when staff changes
  

1. Create One Team Space per Pod

Each POD should be its own Team Space in Missive. If you have less than 20 clients, you could set up a team space for each client or by each type of client.

If you're more than 20 clients, you might want to set up based on service line (tax, bookkeeping, etc).

• Add pod members as Members to receive notifications
• Add partners or senior leadership as Observers so they can monitor without being overloaded
  

This gives each pod its own inbox, chat room, and shared task list.

2. Use Dedicated Shared Inboxes & Aliases

Each pod needs a clear front door for client emails. You can:

• Assign poda@yourfirm.com to Pod A's inbox
  
• Use aliases like payroll@yourfirm.com, tax@yourfirm.com and route them to the appropriate pod
  
• Allow juniors/admins to send as the pod alias; seniors can use personal addresses when necessary
  

This allows routine client requests to come from a shared firm alias for consistency, but significant communications (e.g. year-end reports or advisory) can come from a named partner.

Missive allows team members can choose the appropriate sender identity on each reply, and you can even manage multiple signatures for different aliases. 

Aliases are free and unlimited in Missive. Shared accounts are limited to 5 per user, so if your organization has 10 Missive users, you’re limited to 50 shared accounts.

Pro Tip: Using shared aliases helps maintain continuity when staff change, your clients won’t need to update their address books.

3. Route Emails to the Right Pod Automatically

Missive’s rules engine lets you direct emails where they belong:

• Match by client domain: @clientabc.com → Pod A
  
• Use AI or keyword rules: "urgent", "payroll", "report" → tag, assign, or escalate
  
• Send email from your webform to a centralized address and route based on form content
  

Example rule for escalating urgent emails:

4. Define Clear Pod Roles Inside Missive

Use Missive’s permission structure and collaboration tools to mirror pod roles:

• Junior staff: Assign themselves emails, draft/reply to clients, tag colleagues
  
• Admin/coordinator: Maintains pod task board, assigns triage (if not automated), handles scheduling
  
• Senior: Steps in for escalation, reviews drafts, monitors inbox passively via Observer role
  
• Partner/leadership: Observer across multiple pods or all pods
  

5. Use Assignments and Internal Comments

• Instead of emailing colleagues, @-mention them in the email comment pane
  
• Assign conversations to individuals for clear ownership
  
• Use Missive’s Close action when work is complete
  

This is more direct and less error-prone than relying on the traditional "cc" model, plus, it’s logged, so later you can see “this was assigned to John on Jan 5”.

If something needs a manager's attention, assign it to the manager or add an “Escalated” label.

The visibility of assignments is part of what makes Missive a “shared inbox on steroids,” giving everyone clarity on responsibilities. 

6. Track Tasks with Missive or Project Tools

Missive offers two strong workflows:

Option A: Use Missive’s Native Tasks

• Turn an email into a task
  
• Assign due dates, owners
  
• Add tasks or checklists inside conversations
  

Option B: Integrate with ClickUp, Asana, etc.

• Click to create a ClickUp task from an email
  
• Use Missive rules to generate tickets (advanced setups via Missive's API or use tools like Relay.app, Zapier, and Make.com)
  

7. Escalate Smartly Using Rules

Don’t rely on memory. Let Missive flag important messages:

• Time-based rule: If a message is unresolved after 48 hours → alert senior
  
• AI rule: If email contains urgency or escalated tone → assign to senior
  
• SLA rule: Label messages breaching response time
  

These automation rules reduce dropped balls and keep client service high.
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8. Maintain Firm-Wide Structure

• For cross-pod needs (billing, onboarding), create a Central Ops Team Space
  
• Allow specialist roles (e.g. offshore bookkeeper) to be Members of multiple pods
  
• Use color-coded labels to track workflow statuses firm-wide
  

9. Sample Workflow in Action

If you start to add in Rules, especially their AI rules, a number of these steps can be automated. 

10. Transition Tips from Real Firms

• Start with 1–2 pods before scaling to the full firm
  
• Train teams on internal comments, assignments, and closing threads
  
• Use the same client-facing email addresses (i.e. Julie@yourfirm.com) to keep the transition seamless
  
• Review rules weekly early on, adjusting for accuracy
  

Why It Works

• Client-focused: Each pod owns client relationships
  
• Team accountable: Clear ownership of email, tasks, and service
  
• Flexible: Add pods as your firm grows
  
• Resilient: Staff changes don’t break communication chains
  

The POD model lets your accounting firm scale without chaos. Combined with Missive's visibility, rules, and collaboration tools, it becomes a high-trust, high-efficiency operating system for client service.

FAQ

How does Missive help my firm stay compliant with client data privacy and security standards?

Missive supports accounting firms with tools to ensure confidentiality and audit readiness:

• Granular Access Control: You control who sees what using Team Spaces and account-level permissions. Sensitive inboxes can be shared only with specific individuals.
  
• Transparency & Audit Trails: All actions (assignments, comments, replies) are time-stamped and visible to teammates. This visibility prevents emails from being lost in personal inboxes.
  
• Retention Coordination: Missive syncs with your email server. Ensure your Gmail or Outlook accounts retain emails long enough to meet compliance needs.
  
• Data Portability: All email communications remain on your email server, allowing you to use tools like Google Vault or Exchange for discovery or exports.
  
• Enterprise-Grade Security: Missive is SOC 2 Type II certified. It offers encryption in transit and at rest, optional single sign-on (SSO), and admin-level control over access.
  

Can we still use our existing email addresses (e.g., Outlook or Gmail)?

Yes. Missive works as an overlay to your existing email provider (Microsoft 365, Gmail, etc.). Your team keeps their email addresses and Missive syncs everything in real time, without changing your domain or setup.

What happens when a staff member leaves, do we lose their emails?

A: No. All emails, assignments, and internal comments stay visible to the team. Conversations don’t live in personal inboxes, they live in shared team spaces. You can reassign messages, check history, and maintain continuity easily.

Can Missive integrate with our existing workflow tools (like ClickUp, Xero, or Slack)?

Yes. Missive integrates with ClickUp, Trello, Aircall, HubSpot, and more. You can create tasks directly from emails, log calls, and pull in CRM data, all without leaving the app. Zapier and API access also allow custom integrations.

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AI and email management go hand in hand.

There are AI tools dedicated to helping you clean your inbox (like SaneBox) and plenty that help you draft emails better and/or faster.

In a world where new AI tools are releasing every day, we're going to share some practical ways to use AI within email and your inbox.

At the end of each section, we'll cover some of the best AI email tools and AI assistants that can help you be more efficient in your inbox—whether you're a Gmail or Outlook user.

Here at Missive, our users get a lot of emails—100+ in a day in some cases. We crowdsourced the most practical, helpful AI suggestions that real businesses are using to maintain a clutter-free, productive inbox.

How is AI most commonly used in email?

Before we jump into the examples, these are the three broad buckets where AI is used within inboxes:

• Clean emails
• Draft emails
• Kick off other tasks

For cleaning emails, there is usually a deep purging functionality (i.e., archive all emails before a certain date) as well as a new system to keep your inbox clean after the purge (i.e., auto-categorization into folders/labels). Clean Email is a great example of this bucket.

For drafting and writing emails, you can create prompts that take into consideration your writing style, structure, and tone and add in resources for AI to pull context from—most commonly, your knowledge base or website.

For kicking off other tasks—this is the most exciting part of AI within your inbox. Certain tools (like Missive's AI-powered rules) allow you to automate a set of actions based on the context of an email. Imagine every email gets assigned to the right people, a set of tasks is created, a label or folder is applied, and an entry is made in your CRM—without a single human interaction. That’s magic!

Let's get to the AI-powered magic.

We're highlighting Missive's AI-powered rules in the examples below, but you can create your own AI email automations with your favorite tools, and we include some recommendations.

Here are the 6 best AI email workflows.

1. Use AI to auto-label and archive to reduce noise

Our inboxes get inundated every day, but not every email deserves equal attention. A clean inbox needs a system of categorization.

Historically, you could set up automations based on sender, message content, etc.—but now with AI, you can understand the context of emails, which changes email management entirely.

It's like having an AI assistant read each email and then categorize it based on the context within. It's far more robust than just looking at the sender domain.

If you don't already have some form of auto-labeling, auto-folder categorization, or archiving automation running, here are a few examples to get you started:

• Is this email promotional in nature → Add "Promotional" label → Archive
• Is this email a receipt or invoice → Add "Receipt" label → Forward to bookkeeper → Archive
• Is this email a newsletter → Add "Newsletter" label → Archive

By auto-filing certain emails out of your inbox using AI, you'll be able to focus on the ones that need your attention. And when you have some free time, you can visit your newsletter label to catch up on industry insights.

Most modern email clients have some version of this built in. If you're looking for an add-on tool for Gmail or Outlook, we cover those below as well.

Best AI email client that can auto-categorize emails:

Missive — Inbox collaboration for teams

• Pros:
  
  • Super flexible rules that can create any categorization system you can dream up
  • Designed for team collaboration (team and personal inboxes)
  • Supports Gmail, Outlook, and more
  • Plans start at $18/user/month‍
• Cons:
  
  • You must manually set up each rule, even defaults like Promotions in Gmail

Superhuman — Great for keyboard shortcut lovers

• Pros:
  
  • Supports Gmail and Outlook
  • Natural language features (e.g., "snooze for a couple weeks")‍
• Cons:
  
  • Expensive at $30/user/month
  • Steep learning curve if you're used to a traditional email client

Shortwave — For an AI-first inbox

• Pros:
  
  • AI-powered inbox search
  • Internal commenting for teams
  • Split inbox tabs‍
• Cons:‍
  
  • Only supports Gmail

Best AI add-on for Gmail/Outlook to auto-categorize emails:

SaneBox — AI email organizer that integrates with your existing client

• Pros:
  
  • Keep using your current client
  • "Deep Clean" feature for inbox reset
  • Free trial available‍
• Cons:
  
  • Limited to inbox cleanup and categorization
  • Requires time investment for training

Unroll.me — Alternative to SaneBox, bulk email cleaner for any provider

• Pros:
  
  • ‍Simple UI ("Keep", "Block", or "Roll Up")
  • Free to use‍
• Cons:
  
  • Uses your data for advertising

2. Use AI to trigger a set of tasks based on email type

AI can save time inside your inbox—but using it to trigger external workflows is where the magic really happens.

Example: A real estate business receives emails from both buyers and sellers in a shared inbox. Their workflows are completely different, so we used AI to identify the intent and trigger specific assignments, tasks, and summaries for the right team members.

If you have different workflows depending on the email, you can use AI to detect the context and automate accordingly.

Best AI automation builders for email:

Relay.app — AI-first workflow builder

• Pros:
  
  • Super easy setup
  • Lots of templates
  • Free plan (200 steps, 500 AI credits)‍
• Cons:
  
  • Fewer integrations than more established tools

Zapier — Classic builder, now with AI

• Pros: 
  
  • ‍Massive integration library
  • Lower cost at scale‍
• Cons:
  
  • Only 100 free Zaps on the free plan
  • No AI credits included

Missive — AI rules built into the collaborative inbox

3. Use AI to auto-unsubscribe from emails you don't read

Inbox maintenance is like pruning a tree—it requires regular attention.

With AI clients, workflow builders, or Missive rules, you can automatically clean up emails without manually clicking "unsubscribe."

Set it up narrowly (specific senders or domains) or broadly (based on open behavior, like emails unread for 30+ days).

Solutions like SaneBox include versions of this, though some manual training may be required.

4. Use AI to escalate urgent emails to management

Say you run an accounting firm where each client has a dedicated team and inbox.

Most messages are about invoices, but occasionally, an urgent email from the CEO arrives that needs management's attention.

AI can identify urgency and escalate the message automatically to the right person.

Other tools can do this too—but may require you to create specific folders/labels and rely on manual monitoring.

5. Use AI to draft emails for common questions

This works best if you have a large, public knowledge base or help center that the AI can reference. If you do, you can use one of the newer AI models that allow you to search the web.

Here's the prompt we use at Missive for our support team: 

You are an expert customer support specialist for Missive, the collaborative team inbox platform. Your job is to draft accurate, empathetic, and clear replies to customer inquiries based only on official Missive documentation.

Rules:

• Use only information from learn.missiveapp.com and missiveapp.com.
• Never reference or quote other websites.
• Do not suggest third-party tools or workarounds.
• If documentation does not cover the topic, acknowledge it and offer to escalate to the dev team.
• Never invent features or information.
• Do not include email addresses, links to support, or "feel free to contact us."
• Always acknowledge the user's concern first, then offer solutions.
• When referencing documentation, create inline links (link words or phrases), never paste full URLs.

Style:

• Begin with "Hi [Name]," or "Hi there," if unknown.
• Be professional, empathetic, and concise.
• Use simple, clear explanations with a positive tone.
• Always use active voice.
• No signatures or closings (the email client handles that).

Process:

1. Carefully read the user's full message.
2. Search Missive documentation for relevant answers.
3. Classify response type:
   • Feature Request: "This is not possible at the moment, but you can open a feature request so others can upvote it. You'll be subscribed to updates if we work on it."
   • Malfunctioning Rule: Request screenshots of rule setup, a link to related conversation(s), and examples of the issue.
   • Sharing/Configuration Issue: Request a screen recording showing the behavior.
4. If information is missing, clearly state it and escalate.

Response Structure:

1. Friendly greeting
2. Acknowledge the issue
3. Provide the explanation or solution
4. State any next steps
5. Invite further questions if needed (no sign-off)

Note: Keep all responses strictly tied to Missive's documented functionality.

Now, if you want to get crazy with it. You can create an automation where a draft is created every time an incoming email fits a specific criteria. And you can use AI to help you determine which email triggers the automation. 

6. Use AI to give you a summary of incoming sales leads

Don't want to pay for contact enrichment tools? Use AI to summarize new prospects.

It adds context directly to the email thread, so you can start conversations better informed.

For more robust enrichment, tools like Clay or CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce offer AI-powered data collection.

Final thoughts

We hope these ideas help you clean emails, draft faster, and automate smarter.

All the tools mentioned above offer a “fresh start” feature to deep clean your inbox and begin anew.

Whether you're using SaneBox with your current client or switching to an AI-first inbox—there's no reason your email shouldn’t flow to the right people and places automatically after setting a few AI-powered rules.

If you're looking for an AI-powered email client uniquely designed for teams—give Missive a try. No credit card needed, and our free trial includes access to AI rules.